China is elevating its Middle East diplomatic aspirations with negotiations between rival Fatah and Hamas

China is elevating its Middle East diplomatic aspirations with negotiations between rival Fatah and Hamas
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This weekend’s meeting in Beijing between senior Hamas and Fatah officials and other Palestinian factions will mark the most recent attempt to mend severe rifts between enemies who have long fought one another for control of Gaza and the West Bank.

A significant, if cautious, step toward China’s pursuit of a more prominent role in Middle East diplomacy will also be marked by the conference. The U.S.-led discussions between Israel and Hamas to achieve a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip do not directly involve Beijing. On the other hand, China can position itself as a less risky diplomatic option in the region by holding Palestinian unity negotiations.

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The envoy of the Palestinian Authority to China, Fariz Mehdawi, told NBC News in Beijing that “Hosting such an event has nothing to lose.”

“Why is not the problem,” he declared. “Why not, China? is the question.”

As the Palestinian ambassador to China since 2016, Mehdawi believes China views the peace negotiations with the Palestinians as a necessary first step toward its ultimate goal of earning the honor of holding a global peace conference.

China has stated this objective clearly. “War should not continue indefinitely,” Chinese President Xi Jinping declared in May during a gathering of diplomats from China and Arab nations in this location. Xi restated China’s demand for the creation of an independent Palestinian state and Beijing’s support for a “comprehensive, reputable, and successful international peace conference.”

It’s also anticipated that China will look to assist with infrastructure reconstruction in Gaza after the war. Ismail Haniyeh, the political head of Hamas, met in March with diplomats including Wang Kejian, the Chinese ambassador to Qatar, and Cao Xiaolin, the ambassador to China.

“China wants to have connections with Hamas because it is an integral element of the Palestinian national fabric,” Haniyeh was informed by Chinese officials, according to a statement issued by Hamas.

China must strike a careful balance since it maintains diplomatic and commercial connections with Israel, even though Beijing has never formally denounced the attacks of October 7.

Mehdawi stated, “China is not proposing to act as a go-between for any parties.” China “is unable to propose a peace conference in the absence of the Palestinians repairing their own homes.”

China would benefit from serving as the possible guarantor of a Palestinian unity pact, having worked with Oman, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia to secure a deal last year that restored full diplomatic connections between the antagonistic nations. Neither the United States nor Europe were involved.

China aspires to play a significant role in any major diplomatic settlement that resolves this war, according to Jon Alterman, senior vice president and director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Middle East program.

He stated, “China views this as a relatively cheap way to do something for the most part.” “If it works, it’s a prestigious endeavor; if not, there’s no big deal.”

The Palestinians have never been able to unite. Fatah and Hamas have long been divided by power disputes, which widened in 2007 after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in an orderly manner after the previous year’s elections. A 2023 report by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, an independent think tank in Ramallah, states that since the breach, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority has only been able to rule portions of the West Bank and is doing so in the face of Palestinian accusations that its legitimacy is being undermined. Israel has used many methods to impose its will over Gaza and the West Bank.

The Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a vast complex of gardens, lakes, buildings, and a hotel where the Communist Party hosts foreign dignitaries will host the talks in Beijing. It will bring together key Fatah leaders, including Mahmoud Aloul, the deputy chairman, and Haniyeh’s Hamas counterparts.

A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, will be meeting with representatives from both parties. According to Palestinian sources acquainted with the arrangement, Wang, China’s top diplomat, is scheduled to rejoin the groups on the last day, although the factions will still meet without him.

For China, acknowledging the discussions beforehand indicates a distinct degree of confidence in the potential outcomes. Little progress was made at the first series of meetings held here in April, which China only made public after the participants had concluded and left the nation. The Beijing conversation came after a related gathering in Moscow in February.

When the second round of unification talks was scheduled to take place here on June 24th, hosted by Chinese officials, Hamas and Fatah abruptly withdrew. In remarks released, each side accused the other of canceling the meeting and said they were “appreciative” of their Chinese hosts.

“China, in comparison to other actors, continues to have a limited direct influence on Palestinian affairs,” stated Maria Papageorgiou, a politics and international affairs lecturer at the University of Exeter. “The historical divide between Hamas and Fatah is deep.”

China’s relations with the Palestinians began in the 1960s when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was given food, weapons, training, and assistance by the government led by Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong.

China became one of the first nations in the world to recognize the state of Palestine in 1988, and in 1974, its representative office in Beijing was upgraded to an embassy. According to sources, China is currently the main diplomatic ally of the Palestinians at the UN.

These PLO relations have long been linked to China’s Middle East expansion, which has increased its influence in foreign policy mostly due to economic reasons. The area provides Beijing with a large portion of its imports of crude oil, and Chinese capital has invested billions of dollars in buildings, ports, and highways.

Papageorgiou stated, “China has become a major economic force in the Middle East, but its influence has not always been matched by its [diplomatic] reputation.” She also mentioned that it will be challenging to facilitate talks between Palestinians and Israelis without the assistance of the United States due to China’s strained relations with Israel over the conflict.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement to NBC News that China has “always vigorously backed the Palestinian people’s legitimate cause.” It continued, saying, “China demands that powerful nations stop using “double standards” and “take off their tinted glasses” while addressing regional issues,” without mentioning the United States.

According to Alterman, “China rejects the idea of a robust international community working to further shared goals.” “I believe that the United States views China’s undermining of this larger endeavor to promote multilateralism as counterproductive,” the statement reads. “China prefers to engage one by one.”

The Palestinian ambassador, Mehdawi, does not believe that China is trying to overtake the United States as the region’s preeminent diplomatic force. Rather, he sees China’s engagement in the unity talks as taking on a role that the United States cannot due to its backing of Israel.

He declared, “Chinese foreign policy is not so ambitious.” They are aware of their limitations. The United States’ shortcomings provide the impression that China is acting more.

“Someone will take over a space you leave behind.”

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